Surfacing machine



J. H. FOX ET AL SURFACING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet Nov. 24, 1931.

iNVENTO R 5.

NOV. 24, 1931. H" FOX ET L 1,833,359

SURFACING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 24, 1931. J. H. FOX ET AL SURFACING MACHINE 4 Shets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 6, 1929 INVENTORE NOV. 24, 1931. ox ET AL 1,833,359

SURFACING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6, 1929 .4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS Patented Nov. 24,1931 7 UNITED STATES PATENT orrica JOHN H. FOX AND WILLIAM OWEN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOBS TO PITTSBURGH PLATE GLASS COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA soar-Acme :uncnnm Application nletl December 8, 1929. Serial No. 412,208

The invention relates to surfacing machines for use in straight away indin and polishing, being articularly esigne for use in surfacing p ate glass, but not limited to use in such connection It has for its objects the provision of a machine, which will 've a uniform surfacing action over the Foes of the glass sheets carried beneath it by the tables, which has its surfacing unit so constructed and arranged that it may be expeditiously removed and replaced with a minimum loss of time, and which will oper ate satisfactorily to surface sheets of glass of as great a dimension in width as it 1s practicable to handle in a straight away grinding and polishing operation. Certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in section. Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail section'through a modification. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views showing a modification as to the method of attaching the work spindle to the grinding disc, Fig. 5 being a plan view of the disc with the top removed and 6 being a vertical section through the mo. Fig. 7 is a side elevation illustrating a modification. Fig. 8 is a section through a polishing block which may be used instead of grindblocks. 'And Fig. 9 is a plan view showing a modified polishing block arrangement.

Referringto the drawin s, 1 is a table for supporting the glass tosurrfaced and mounted upon. the-tracks 2, such table being one of-a series placed. end to end in a continuous train and moved beneath the series of surfacing machines, a part of which are grinding machines and another part are polishing machines. These tables are moved at a uniform speed by any suitable means, such as spur pinions engaging the racks 3 secured to the bottoms of the tables. The tracks 2 are mounted upon a suitable supporting framework 4 which also'carries the drain troughs 5 for receivin the waste abrasive and water supplied dur ng the surfacing o erations. Extending along the side of tl ie series of surfacing machines is a framework down to lift the surfacing 1 made up of the commercial sections 6 and adapted to support the surfacing units. The supporting means for each unit comprises a lever 7 p1voted upon the framework at 8 and having its end which is remote from the surfacing machine connected to suitable counterbalancing and adjusting means. The, adjusting and counterbalancmg means comprises a connecting rod made up of two parts 9 and 10 with an interposed s ring 11 arranged so that such spring is un or compression and acts as a counterbalance for.

at least a part of the weight of the'surfacing unit. The lower end'lO of the connecting rod is threaded and extends through a nut carried by the bracket 12. Such nut is arranged to be rotated by the hand wheel 13 and thus move the rod 10 endwise for the purpose of adjustment. This particular means for adjusting the end of the lever arm is well-known in the ,art, being shown in the Harrin ton Patent No. 1,671,718, so'that no detaile illustration or description is necessary, and any other suitable means might be employed for this pur ose. The end of the lever arm may also moved up and unit clear of the glass by means of the air fting c linder 14,

such cylinder being provided wit a piston whose piston rod 15 is ivoted to the end of the lever. Compressed air is supplied for operating the cylinder from the air reservoir 16.

The surfacing unit to which the invention particularly relates comprises a carrying frame 17 pivotally supported on the short end of the lever 7 by means of a ball joint 18 (Fig. 3); a gear casing 19 mounted on a horizontal track on the carrying frame so that the gear casing may be moved back and forth across the line of movement of the tables 1; the series of six grinding discs 20; and the motor 21 seated upon the casing and connected by suitable gearing with the spindles which carry the grindmg discs. The carrying frame 17 is of triangular form (Fig. 1) carrying at (its lower end a rectangular frame made up of the channels 22, and this frame 22 is provided with vertical guide bars 23, one at each side of the frame. These bars ing 23 fit in suitable guides 24 carried by the transverse bars 25, such bars 25 being in turn secured at their ends to the I-beams 26, 26 constituting a part of the framework lying along the sides of the tracks 2.

The upper side of the rectangular frame 22 constitutestrack upon which the gear casing 19 is mounted for movement transversely of the line of movement of the tables. The gear casing is provided with four wheels 27 engaging the track so that during the operation of the machine, the gear casing and grinding disc carried thereby may be moved transversely of the table beneath, thus distributing the grinding effect of the discs oyer the entire area of the sheet of glass on the table. Suitable means are provided for giving the gear casing its back and forth movement, such means including the crank 28 mounted on the shaft 29, the connecting rod 30 pivoted at one end to the crank pin of the crank 28 and at its other end to the pivot 31 carried by the gear casing. The shaft 29 of the crank 28 is journalled upon bearings carried by the I-beam 26 and is rotated from the motor 32 through the intermediary of the shaft 33, the worm on such shaft and a worm wheel keyed to the shaft 29, the worm and worm wheel being carried in the gear cas- 34. The method of mounting the work spindles of the grinding discs 20 in the gear casing 19 and the gearing for'driving such work spindles from the motor 21 is best shown in Fig. 3. The work spindles 35 are mounted for endwise movement through the gear casing and are splined to the (pinions 36 by means of which the work spin les are driven, such pinions being mounted for rotation in the bushings 37. Each spindle is provided with a thrust ball bearing 38 yieldingly pressed down by means of the spring 39.

This spring is carried in a casing 40 bolted to the top of the casing 19 and provided with an adjusting sleeve 41. The adjusting sleeve 41 is threaded into the casing 40 so that by screwing it down the spring 39 is compressed and more pressure is applied tending to press the grinding disc 20 against the glass sheet. By this means a yielding pressure between the grinding discs and the glass is secured, which pressure may be adjusted by means of the sleeves 41 so that all of the discs exert the same grinding effect upon the glass. The spindles are made hollow. and connected with flexible pipes 42 so that a mixture of abrasive and water may be supplied to the hollow center 43 of the grinding disc.

The drive shaft 44 of the motor 21 carries a driving gear 45. This gear 45 meshes with the pinions 46, 46 carried by the work spindles of the two central grinding discs 20, 20 (Fig. 2). The gears 46, 46 mesh with two pairs of idlers 47, 47 and these idlers mesh with the gears48, 48 carried by the work spindles of the end grinding discs. In this mountin the work spindle 49 which carries 1 the grin ing disc50. In this case the work spindle is splined to the driving pinion 51 as in the first type of construction, but instead of being pressed downward by means of a spring, the spindle is given the necessary downward pressure by means of a weight 52 secured in position by means of the nut 53.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate another method of securing the work spindle 54 to the grinding disc 55. As here shown the lower end of the spindle is provided with four arms 56 which fit into a correspondin number of recesses in the top of the grinding disc. The upper and lower sides of the arms are rounded,

as indicated in Fig. 6, and the recesses in.

which these arms are mounted are similarly rounded so that the disc 55 has a chance to rock upon the end of the spindle and thus adjust itself to the surface of the glass. The spindle and disc are secured together by means of the cap member 57 held in place by means of the bolts 57a.

. Fig. 7 illustrates a modification relating to the method of mounting the gear casing 59lfor horizontal movement back and forth in'the frame 58. The frame 58 and its meth 0d of support from the end of the lever 7 is similar to the one heretofore described in connection with Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and the vmethod of mountingthe spindles carrying the grinding discs and of driving such discs from the motor 60 is the same as heret'ofore described. The gear casing 59 in this construction is provided with four pivots 61 at its corners carried by suitable bearings and these pivots support the rocking quadrants 62. These rocking quadrants are toothed, as indicated, and engage racks 63 formed on the frame 58. The gear casing is moved back and forth by means of a connectin rod 64 operated in the same manner ast e connecting rod 30 of the Figs. 1. to 3 construction. The result achieved by this method of mounting the gear construction is the same as Figs. 1 to 3, the rocking segments 62 taking the place of the wheel 27 of the construction first described.

when the work spindle 65 is provided with a polishing block instead of a grinding disc.

The polishing block here comprises a metal disc 66 connected to the spindle 65 in the same manner as described in connection with Figs. 5 and 6, this plate being faced with a felt sheet 67 held in place by the clamping ring 68 which engages the corners of the sheet, the section of Fig. 8 being taken in a plane between such corners. 1

Fig. 9 illustrates a further modification which may be employed in place of the construction of Fig. 8. Here the work spindle 69 carriesa spider 70 provided with three arms and these three arms are provided with openings through which the shafts 71 of the small polisher discs 72 project. Various other forms of polisher blocks and grinding discs might be employed depending upon conditions. A In operation the tables ca ing the glass are moved under the series o f gear caslngs, the various grinding and olisher blocks being pressed yieldingly into engagement with the glass as heretofore described. The work spindles are rotated from the motors 21 at a proper speed to give the best results in grinding and polishing and the casings 19 are, moved back and forth over thetable fromthe motors 32 in order to distribute the surfacing-effect of the discs. The pressure ex,-

' erted by the discs upon the glass may be regulated from the hand wheel 13 and the pressure exerted by the various discs may be equalizedby the regulating sleeves 41 so that each of the discs carried by a particular gear casing performs its proper amount of work. When any of the grinding or polishing discs require replacement or repair, this may done quickly and easily by removing the frame 17 fromthe lever 7 and substituting a spare unit while the necessary repair or replacement is being made so that there is only a slight interruption in the use of the machine.

What we claim is:

.1. In combination in a surfacin machine, a work table mounted for right line movement, a framework alongside the table, a surfacing unit comprisinga frame mounted over the table supported for vertical movement upon the framework and counterbalanced, a gear casing mounted for horizontal movement on the frame transversely of the line of movement of the table, a plurality of work spindles extending vertically through the casing, a surfacing disc carried h each spindle, a motor supported in fixe relation with respect the the gear casing, and

a driving connections including gearing in the casing for driving the work spindles from the motor, and means interposed between the casing and the framework for reciprocating the casing.

2. In combination in a surfacing machine, a work table mounted for right line movement,,a framework alongside the table, a surfacing unit comprising a frame mounted over the table supported for vertical movement upon the framework and counterbalanced, a-

gear casing mounted for horizontal movement on the frame transversely of the line of movement of the table, a plurality of work spindles extending vertically through the easing, a surfacing disc carried by each spindle, a motor supported in fixed relation with respect to the gear casing, and driving connections including gearing in the casing for driving the workspindles from the motor, and means for reciprocating the casing comprising a motor on the framework, a crank driven therefrom and a connecting rod from said crank to the casing.

3. In combination in a work table mounted ment, a framework alongside the table, a surfacing unit comprising a frame mounted over the table supported for vertical movement upon/the framework and counterbalanced, a track on the frame extending transversely of the line of movement of the tab1e,'a gear casing mounted on the track, a plurality of work spindles extending vertically through the casing, a surfacing 'disccarried by each spindle, a motor supported in fi'xedrelation with respect to the gear casing, and driving connections including gearing in the casing for driving the work spindles from the motor, and means interposed between the casing and the framework for reciprocating the easing. 4. In combination in a surfacin machine, a work table mounted'for right line move-- a surfacing machine, for right line movement, a'fi'amework alongside the table, a surfacing unit comprising a frame mounted over thetable, a lever fulcrumed on the framework a-nd pivotally connected to the frame at its outer end, means for adjusting the lever to position the frame, a gear casing mounted for horizontal movement on the frame transversely'of the line of inovement of the table, a plurality of work spindles extending vertically through the casing, a surfacing disc carried by each spindle, a motor supported in fixed relation with respect to the gear casing, and driving connectlons including gearing in the casing for driving the work spin' dles from the motor, and means interposed between the casing and the framework for reciprocating the casin 5. In combination in a surfacing machine, a work table mounted for right line movement, a framework alongside the table, a surfacing unit comprising a gear casing mounted over the table and movable vertically and also horizontally across the line of movement of the table, means carried by the framework 'for counterbalanc'ing the casing,

ment, a framework alongside the table, a surfacing unit comprising a gear casing mounted over the table and movable vertically and also horizontally across the line of movement of the table, means carried by the framework for counterbalancing the casing, a. pluralit of work spindles extending verticallg throng the casing, a surfacing dlSC carrie by each sspindle, means for applying yielding pressure downward independently upon each spindle, gearing in the casing for driving said spindles, and a motor carried by the easing in driving engagement'with said gear- '10 ing, and means for moving the casing ack and forth across the table.

7. In combination in a surfacing machine, a work table mounted for .ri ht line movement, a framework alongside t e table, a surfacing unit comprising a gear casing mounted over the table and movable vertically and also horizontally across the line of movement of the table, means carried .by the framework for counterbalancing the casing, a pluralit of work spindles extendin vertically throug the casing, a surfacin dlsc carried by each spindle, spring means or pressing each. spindle downward relative to the casing, ad]us.ting means for each of said spring means, :5 gearing in the casingi for driving said spindles, and means for driving said gearing, and means for moving the casing back and forth across the table.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto so subscribed our names. I

JOHN H. FOX. WILLIAM OWEN. 

